A steering apparatus for an automobile, as illustrated in FIG. 12, is constructed so that rotation of the steering wheel 1 is transmitted to an input shaft 3 of a steering gear unit 2, and as this input shaft 3 turns, the input shaft 3 pushes or pulls a pair of left and right tie rods 4, which apply a steering angle to the front wheels of the automobile. In order to accomplish this, the steering wheel 1 is fastened to and supported by the rear end section of a steering shaft 5, and this steering shaft 5 is inserted in the axial direction through a cylindrical shaped steering column 6, and is supported by this steering column 6 such that it can rotate freely. The front end section of the steering shaft 5 is connected to the rear end section of an intermediate shaft 8 via a universal joint 7, and the front end section of this intermediate shaft 8 is connected to the input shaft 3 via a different universal joint 9. The intermediate shaft 8 is constructed so that the shaft can transmit torque, and can contract along its entire length due to an impact load, so that when the steering gear unit 2 is displaced in the backward direction due to a primary collision between an automobile and another automobile, that displacement is absorbed, which prevents the steering wheel 1 from displacing in the backward direction via the steering shaft 5 and hitting the body of the driver.
In order to protect the body of the driver, this kind of steering apparatus for an automobile requires construction that allows the steering wheel to displace in the forward direction while absorbing impact energy during a collision accident. In other words, after the primary collision in a collision accident, a secondary collision occurs when the body of the driver collides with the steering wheel 1. In order to protect the driver by lessening the impact applied to the body of the driver during this secondary collision, construction is known (refer to JP51-121929(U) and JP2005-219641) and widely used in which an energy absorbing member, which absorbs an impact load by plastically deforming, is provided between the vehicle body and a member that supports the steering column 6 that supports the steering wheel 1 with respect to the vehicle body so that it can break away in the forward direction due to an impact load in the forward direction during a secondary collision, and displaces in the forward direction together with the steering column 6.
FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 illustrate an example of this kind of steering apparatus. A housing 10, which houses the reduction gear and the like of an electric power steering apparatus, is fastened to the front end section of a steering column 6a. A steering shaft 5a is supported on the inside of the steering column 6a such that it can only rotate freely, and a steering wheel 1 (see FIG. 12) can be fastened to the portion on the rear end section of this steering shaft 5a that protrudes from the opening on the rear end of the steering column 6a. The steering column 6a and the housing 10 are supported by a fastening bracket 11 on the vehicle side (see FIG. 1 to FIG. 5) that is fastened to the vehicle body so that they can break away in the forward direction due to an impact load in the forward direction.
To accomplish this, a bracket 12 on the column side that is supported in the middle section of the steering column 6a and a bracket 13 on the housing side that is supported by the housing 10 are supported with respect to the vehicle body so that they both can break away in the forward direction due to an impact load in the forward direction. These brackets 12, 13 both comprise installation plate sections 14a, 14b at one to two locations, and cutout sections 15a, 15b are formed in these installation plate sections 14a, 14b so that they are open on the rear end edges. With these cutout sections 15a, 15b covered, sliding plates 16a, 16b are assembled in the portions of these brackets 12, 13 near both the left and right ends.
These sliding plates 16a, 16b are formed by bending thin metal plate such as carbon steel plate or stainless steel plate provided with a layer of a synthetic resin that slides easily, such as polyamide resin (nylon), polytetrafluoroethylene resin (PTFE) or the like on the surface into a U shape, having a top and bottom plate section that are connected by a connecting plate section. Through holes for inserting bolts or studs are formed in portions of the top and bottom plate sections that are aligned with each other. With these sliding plates 16a, 16b mounted on the installation plate sections 14a, 14b, the through holes are aligned with the cutout sections 15a, 15b that are formed in these installation plate sections 14a, 14b. 
The bracket 12 on the column side and the bracket 13 on the housing side are supported by the bracket 11 on the vehicle side by screwing nuts onto bolts or studs that are inserted through the cutout sections 15a, 15b in the installation plate sections 14a, 14b and the through holes in the sliding plates 16a, 16b, and tightening the nuts. In the example in the figures, energy absorbing members 17 are provided between these bolts or studs and the bracket 12 on the column side. Furthermore, an electric motor 18, which is the auxiliary power supply of the electric power steering apparatus, is mounted in the housing 10.
During a secondary collision, the bolts or studs come out from the cutout sections 15a, 15b together with the sliding plates 16a, 16b, which allows the steering column 6a and the housing 10 to displace in the forward direction together with the brackets 12 on the column side, the bracket 13 on the housing side and the steering wheel 1. As this bracket 12 on the column side displaces in the forward direction, the energy absorbing members 17 plastically deform so as to absorb the impact energy that is transmitted to the bracket 12 on the column side by way of the steering shaft 5a and steering column 6a. 
In the case of the construction illustrated in FIG. 13 to FIG. 15, the bracket 12 on the column side is supported by the bracket 11 on the vehicle side at two locations, on both the right and left side, so that it can break away in the forward direction during a secondary collision. From the aspect of stable displacement in the forward direction without causing the steering wheel 1 to tilt, it is important during a secondary collision, that the pair of left and right support sections be disengaged at the same time. However, tuning in order that these support sections disengage at the same time is affected not only by resistance such as the friction resistance and the shear resistance to the disengagement of these support sections, but unbalance on the left and right of the inertial mass of the portion that displaces in the forward direction together with the steering column 6a, so takes time and trouble.
In order to stabilize the breaking away of the steering column in the forward direction during a secondary collision, applying the construction disclosed in JP51-121929(U) can be somewhat effective. FIG. 16 to FIG. 18 illustrate the construction disclosed in this document. In the case of this construction, a locking hole (locking notch) 19 is formed in the center section in the width direction of a bracket 11a that is fastened to and supported by the vehicle body and that does not displace in the forward direction even during a secondary collision, and this locking hole 19 is open on the edge of the front end of the bracket 11a on the vehicle side. Moreover, a bracket 12a on the column side is such that it is able to displace in the forward direction together with a steering column 6b during a secondary collision.
Furthermore, both the left and right end sections of a locking capsule 20 that is fastened to this bracket 12a on the column side are locked in the locking hole 19. In other words, locking grooves 21 that are formed on both the left and right side surfaces of the locking capsule 20 engage with the edges on the both the left and right sides of the locking notch 19. Therefore, the portions on both the left and right end sections of the locking capsule 20 that exist on the top side of the locking grooves 21 are positioned on the top side of bracket 11a on the vehicle side on both side sections of the locking hole 19. When the bracket 11a on the vehicle side and the locking capsule 20 are engaged by way of the locking grooves 21 and the edges on both sides of the locking notch 19, locking pins 23 are pressure fitted into small locking holes 22a, 22b that are formed in positions in these members 11a, 20 that are aligned with each other, joining the members 11a, 20 together. These locking pins 23 are made using a relatively soft material such as an aluminum alloy, synthetic resin or the like that will shear under an impact load that is applied during a secondary collision.
When an impact load is applied during a secondary collision from the steering column 6b to the locking capsule 20 by way of the bracket 12a on the column side, these locking pins 23 shear. The locking capsule 20 then comes out in the forward direction from the locking hole 19, which allows the steering column 6b to displace in the forward direction of the steering wheel 1 that is supported by this steering column 6b via the steering shaft.
In the case of the construction illustrated in FIG. 16 to FIG. 18, the engagement section between the locking capsule 20 that is fastened to the bracket 12a on the column side and the bracket 11a on the vehicle side is located at only one location in the center section in the width direction. Therefore, tuning for disengaging this engagement section and causing the steering wheel 1 to displace stably in the forward direction during a secondary collision becomes simple.
However, because the engagement section between the bracket 12a on the column side and the bracket 11a on the vehicle side is located at only one location in the center section in the width direction, the rigidity against the moment that is applied around the steering column 6b (direction of rotation around the center axis of the steering column 6b) to the bracket 12a on the column side from the steering column 6b becomes low.
In the normal operating state, having low rigidity is not particularly a problem. However, when travelling over a bad road, there is a possibility that the steering column 6b will vibrate, and this kind of vibration is also transmitted to the steering wheel 1, so causes discomfort to the driver. Furthermore, even in the case where a conventionally known anti-theft steering lock apparatus (refer to JP10-86792(A) and JP2009-196562) is provided between the steering column 6b and the steering shaft 5b (see FIG. 19) that is supported on the inside of the steering column 6b such that it can rotate freely, a problem such as described below occurs.
As illustrated in FIG. 19, in the basic construction of a steering lock apparatus, a key lock pin 26 is provided in an ignition case (not illustrated in the figure) that is supported by and fastened to the steering column 6c, and this key lock pin 26 is caused to displace in the radial direction of the steering column 6c by the operation of the ignition key (not illustrated in the figure). On the other hand, a key lock collar 27 is fastened by welding or the like to the outer circumferential surface of the steering shaft 5b that is supported on the inside of the steering column 6c such that it can rotate freely. Key lock holes 28 for allowing engagement with the tip end section of the key lock pin 26 are formed at a plurality of locations in the key lock collar 27. When the ignition key is operated and put into the driving state, the key lock pin 26 moves outward in the radial direction of the steering column 6c, and becomes disengaged from the key lock collar 27. In this state, the steering shaft 5b is able to rotate freely inside the steering column 6c. On the other hand, when the ignition key is operated to stop the engine and further put in a state such that the ignition key can be removed, the key lock pin 26 is in a state of matching with the phase of a key lock hole 28, and the key lock pin 26 engages with the key lock collar 27. In this state, the steering shaft 5b is prevented from rotating inside the steering column 6c. 
After the steering lock apparatus has been operated in this way, when a force in the direction of rotation is applied to the steering wheel 1 that is supported by and fastened to the rear end section of the steering shaft 5b, a moment that is centered around the steering shaft 5b is applied to the bracket 12a on the column side by way of the steering shaft 5b, key lock collar 27, key lock pin 26, ignition case and steering column 6c. When this bracket 12a on the column side is supported by the vehicle body at two locations on both end section in the width direction as illustrated in FIG. 13, it is possible to maintain sufficient rigidity against the moment around the steering shaft 5b, and there is no particular problem. However, when the bracket 12a on the column side is supported at only one location in the center section in the width direction as illustrated in FIG. 16 to FIG. 18, rigidity against this moment becomes low. More specifically, a large force is applied to the engagement section between the locking capsule 20 and the bracket 11a on the vehicle side. When the amount of relative displacement between the locking capsule 20 and the bracket 11a on the vehicle side becomes large, there is a possibility that damage such as cracking, deformation or the like will occur in one or both of these members 19, 11a, causing the energy absorbing characteristics during a secondary collision to change.
Moreover, in the conventional construction illustrated in FIG. 16 to FIG. 18, the shape of the bracket 11a on the vehicle side is special, so in addition to the construction for connecting and fastening to this bracket 11a on the vehicle side becoming complex, the assembly height increases, and thus design freedom of the steering apparatus is lost.
In other words, in order to install and fasten the bracket 11a on the vehicle side, the installation surface on the vehicle side is a flat surface. The bracket 11a on the vehicle side is formed by bending metal plate in a reverse angle shape, so even though the bending rigidity is high, the bracket 11a cannot be installed and fastened as is to the flat installation surface. Therefore, the bracket 11a on the vehicle side is installed and fastened to the installation surface on the vehicle side by way of a seat plate 24 and connection bracket 25. Therefore, the number of parts increases, the work for processing parts, managing parts and assembling parts becomes troublesome, and the costs are increased. Furthermore, the assembly height, for example, the distance from the center of the steering column 6b to the installation surface on the vehicle side becomes large, and is disadvantageous in that it becomes difficult to perform design for avoiding interference between the steering column 6b and the knees of the driver.
As related literature, JP2000-6821(A) discloses an energy absorbing member that plastically deforms as the steering column displaces in the forward direction together with the steering wheel in order to lessen the impact applied to the body of the driver that collides with the steering wheel during a secondary collision. Moreover, JP2007-69821(A) and JP2008-100597 disclose construction in which adjustment of the steering wheel position is possible, and in which in order to increase the holding force for keeping the steering wheel in the adjusted position the friction surface is increased by overlapping a plurality of friction plates. However, in construction for supporting a bracket on the column side by the bracket on the vehicle side at only one location in the center section in the width direction, technology for preventing damage to the components of this support section, and technology for reducing the number of parts and maintaining design freedom of the steering apparatus are not disclosed in any of these documents.